10:50 p.m. EST, March 10, 2012|By Anika Myers Palm, Orlando Sentinel Laura Williams’ interest in public records was born of tremendous personal tragedy: In 1996, her then-husband, who had abused her, killed both their 2-year-old daughter and himself. In the years that followed, she joined groups that helped domestic-violence victims. And in 2007, she began…
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By Editorial Board Posted March 11, 2012 at 5 a.m. A key to an effective democracy is public understanding and involvement in the actions taken by elected and appointed government officials as representatives of the citizenry. That demands that records and meetings associated with governmental actions be open and accessible to all members of the public.…
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By DARA KAM Palm Beach Post Staff Writer Updated: 1:07 p.m. Saturday, March 17, 2012 Posted: 7:19 p.m. Friday, March 16, 2012T TALLAHASSEE — If couples are in a hurry to get a divorce, they might want to consider seeking an end to their marriage outside Florida in the coming year. Divorces are just one of the many types of civil cases that county clerks of courts…
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Published: Sunday, March 11, 2012 at 12:01 a.m. Last Modified: Saturday, March 10, 2012 at 11:37 p.m. Two substantial events took place in Tallahassee on Friday: completion of the Florida Legislature’s annual 60-day session — scheduled two months early this year to provide time for the Florida Supreme Court to rule on new voting districts…
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OUR OPINION: During Sunshine Week, the public’s right to know is once again in peril BY THE MIAMI HERALD EDITORIAL HERALDED@MIAMIHERALD.COM As Florida celebrates Sunshine Week and the importance of open government and freedom of information there are some rays of sunshine pushing through the dark clouds of secrecy. One ray: The Florida Legislature ended…
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By ANDREW WYNER and MICHAEL SMALLBERG Click here to join POGO’s Un-Do Influence Campaign: a movement ot reclaim Washington As part of Sunshine Week, a national initiative to highlight the importance of open government and freedom of information, POGO is releasing a host records obtained by the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). Read more about POGO’s plans…
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BY MIKE SCHNEIDER ASSOCIATED PRESS ORLANDO, Fla. — Advocates of Florida’s open government laws should focus on the rights of speakers to have their voices heard at public meetings and push to open up the state’s process of making laws to further scrutiny, one of the state’s top defenders of government transparency said Monday. Too often…
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Sunshine Week was created by journalists. But it’s not just for the press. It’s also for the public. This week, journalists around the country are participating in the national initiative to promote discussion about the importance of open government and freedom of information. But freedom of information is a year-round pledge. American journalists promote open…
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Florida Press Association 336 E. College Ave., Suite 203 Tallahassee, FL 32301 v 850.521.1162 | f 850.577.3600 For immediate release Contact: Dean Ridings March 5, 2012 850.521.1162 deanr@flpress.com Sweeping public notice legislation passes House and Senate HB 937/SB 292 headed to the Governor Tallahassee – In the closing hours of the 2012 legislative session, the Senate passed HB 937, which…
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ames Madison succinctly described the importance of an informed electorate: “Knowledge will forever govern ignorance. And a people who mean to be their own governors, must arm themselves with the power which knowledge gives.” This is also a call for government transparency, as only voters informed in how their government works can effectively use the…
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